New Delhi, October 18, 2018: Earlier this year, Togofogo, India’s most trusted online marketplace for buying and selling of pre-owned and refurbished smartphones, announced its strategic tie-up with Aforeserve to offer doorstep repair for smartphones. Today, both the companies take the tie-up a notch higher, announce exclusive ‘On-site’ repair for Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi smartphones. The users no longer have to visit a service centre to get their phone diagnosed and repaired. With this, Togofogo aims to deliver to its customers the ease and convenience that an e-commerce experience brings.

Aforeserve is one of India’s oldest & largest chains with more than 4500 engineers that have been providing quality repair and refurbishment services for defective ICT devices, including those with expired warranties, since past 2 decades. Togofogo is banking on Aforeserve’s pan India support network of 300+ service centres in 45 major cities, to be able to provide its customers with the convenience of getting their phones repaired at their doorstep.

Togofogo aims to address three key pain points of end users – Lack of time; Finding an authorized service centre in their vicinity, and Ensuring the quality repair of their phones. Already having its niche in buying and selling of pre-owned, box open and refurbished phones market, Togofogo is strengthening the entire eco-system by providing repair, the most integral part of customer experience as an as a Value-Added-Service to all its customers.

Commenting on the development, Mr. Soumitra Gupta, CEO, Togofogo, says, “We have tied up with Aforeserve.com Limited, the market leader in repair and refurbishing services with 18 years of experience. Over time, we realized that there is an emerging need for ‘On-site’ repair facility which could save almost half of the time for the consumers. It has been started as a pilot project for Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi, however we will soon extend the service for other smartphones as well. We have successfully set our foot in the Indian market and we highly regard our customer’s interest by doing little things that leave a bigger impact”

In a span of over 3 years, Togofogo has successfully established a customer base of over 6.5 Lac and has sold close to 5 lakh refurbished smartphones. There is a repeat customer percentage of 20% which envisages the trust built by customers on the brand.

The Indian refurbished-and-used smartphone market has been on an upward trajectory for quite a while now. As more Indians in tier-2 and tier-3 cities get access to the internet and more companies enter the market, sales of refurbished smartphones in India are expected to grow at a compound rate of 27% over the next two years.

About Togofogo

Founded in 2015, Togofogo.com is India’s most trusted online marketplace for buying and selling pre-owned phones and tablets. Togofogo has been acknowledged as the strongest player for extending best quality and certification on box open, refurbished and pre-owned phones to its customers, due to its integration with qutrust.com. The company also ensures best customer service through its tie-up with Aforeserve, which has largest service networks.

Togofogo has a network of over 500 sellers that list mobiles of more than 20 brands on Togofogo’s website. Leading brands like Samsung, Apple, Blackberry, Sony, Asus, and Xiaomi among others are also featured on the company’s website. The company aims at transforming the offline grey market of refurbished devices, organized. With its distinguished online platform, the sellers leverage Togofogo’s integrated logistics support to open up Pan-India Market in no time & the buyers have a place to shop for bargains and be rest assured on the quality of the products they purchase.

Togofogo is a one-stop shop for its customers as it provides an array of services to them right from the quality check and certification of products to providing an option to buy a 1-year warranty on refurbished & pre-owned phones through Warranty Bazaar, and also providing them with post-purchase repair services. This is a clear differentiator for Togofogo in the market.

http://repairs.togofogo.com/

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San Francisco, 27 June 2017 – Fairphone, Dell and HP are the only companies that make spare parts and repair manuals available to the public, while products from brands such as Apple, Samsung and Microsoft are among the least easy to repair and upgrade, according to Greenpeace’s latest IT product guide.

Greenpeace East Asia, in partnership with iFixit, assessed over 40 best selling smartphones, tablets and laptops launched between 2015 and 2017. Seventeen IT brands were represented in the study. The assessment is based on iFixit’s repairability score, which considers the time required to repair the product, the device’s upgradability and modularity, as well as the availability of spare parts and repair manuals.

“Of all the models assessed, we found a few best-in-class products, which demonstrate that designing for repairability is possible. On the other hand, a number of products from Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft are increasingly being designed in ways that make it difficult for users to fix, which shortens the lifespan of these devices and adds to growing stockpiles of e-waste,” said Gary Cook, IT Sector Analyst at Greenpeace USA.

“Improving the repairability of electronic products is technically achievable and brands should be prioritising this in their product design. As a first step, it’s critical that all brands follow in the footsteps of Dell, Fairphone, and HP and make repair manuals and spare parts publicly available.”

LG had once been a leader in designing its products to last, but its most recent smartphone has several design issues impacting its repairability. LG must review its product design to be more sustainable.

Some key findings of the product guide are:

• Trending away from repairability: Design complexity, combined with the practice of soldering or gluing separate pieces together, makes repairing time consuming. Samsung and LG’s smartphones and Apple’s laptops have become increasingly less repairable.
• Non-replaceable batteries: Nearly 70% of all devices tested had batteries that were impossible or difficult to replace due to design decisions and the use of strong adhesives to affix the battery to the casing. Samsung’s Galaxy S8 smartphone and Apple’s Retina MacBook exemplify this bad practice, with batteries thoroughly adhered to the device panels. While the Note7 was not considered in this analysis, Samsung might have been able to avoid recalling millions of devices if the phone’s design had enabled easy battery removal.
• Non-standard tools: To discourage user repair, non-standard tools are increasingly required for working with proprietary screws and other parts. Apple’s iPhone, Oppo’s R9m, and Huawei’s P9 are just some of the devices that require special tools to conduct repairs.
• No access to repair manuals or spare parts: Very few electronics manufacturers provide users with information about how to fix their products. Out of the 17 brands represented in the survey, only three – Dell, Fairphone and HP – provide all spare parts and repair manuals.

“Electronics take a massive amount of energy, human effort, and natural resources to make,” said Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit. “And yet, manufacturers produce billions more of them every year -while consumers keep them for just a few years before tossing them away. E-waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world. We should be able to make electronics a more sustainable part of our lives.”

Greenpeace is calling on the IT sector to design products that can be more easily repaired or upgraded and offer adequate post-sale support. This could be done by making repairing accessible and affordable, making spare parts, particularly batteries, displays and other components with high failure rates, available to customers for at least seven years and by promoting standards and laws that encourage product repair.

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San Francisco, 19 April 2017 – Apple officially announced today its major new commitment to tackle the environmental impact caused by electronics production, becoming the first major IT company to commit to using 100% recycled materials for its products. In response to today’s news, Greenpeace Senior IT Analyst Gary Cook said:

“Apple’s commitment to 100% recycled materials is ambitious, and highlights the need for greater urgency across the sector to reduce resource consumption and e-waste that are causing significant impacts on the environment and human health.  Transitioning to non-virgin raw materials will help to decrease the demand for mined metals and other inputs, and increase recycling rates of electronics directly.”

“This commitment, and Apple’s recent progress in transitioning its supply chain in Asia to renewable energy, puts it far ahead of others in the sector. Major IT brands such as Samsung, Huawei, and Microsoft should quickly match Apple’s leadership, if they don’t want risk falling even further behind.”

Apple’s announcement comes less than a month after Samsung’s commitment to refurbish and recycle 4.3 million Galaxy Note 7s recalled worldwide, sending a strong signal to Samsung and the rest of the sector that much greater innovation is possible.

“Samsung is still seeking to rebuild customers trust following the Note 7 incident. If it doesn’t want to lag further behind Apple in the race to reduce the effects of its products on the planet, it needs to adopt an ambitious commitment to use recycled materials similar to what Apple has announced today.”

“While transitioning to 100% recycled materials is critical to reducing the sector’s footprint, it is also fundamental for Apple and other major IT companies to design products that last, are easy to repair, and recyclable at their end of life.”

Greenpeace East Asia will publish a comparison analysis for ease of repair of best selling models from 15 top IT companies in late June.

[1] Apple’s latest sustainability report can be found here.

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New Delhi, 29^th September, 2016 – OPPO Mobiles, an evolving global technology brand, has for the very first time overtaken Apple to reserve a spot for itself in the Top 2 smartphones in India by value in August 2016 as per GFK data. The brand has also clocked in a growth of 16% in comparison to the previous month.

This feat comes right after the launch of the Selfie Expert OPPO F1s in August. The Selfie Expert F1s came with a 16MP front camera and Beautify function apart from a 0.22s lightning fast fingerprint unlock and good battery endurance – a combination of powerful features desired by the young Indian consumers.

Mr. Sky Li, OPPO Global VP, MD of International Mobile Business and President of OPPO India, said, “India is a priority market for us. We have caught the trend that users, especially young generations like taking photos and selfies by phones. That’s why we have invested a lot in offering the consumers high quality camera phones with a strong focus on front camera.  Going forward we will continue investing in photography technology, design and offering the best consumer experience.”

Besides providing high quality products, OPPO’s fast growth can also be attributed to the aggressive expansion of offline channel strategy and successful marketing campaigns targeted towards reaching out the young consumers. In the Indian market, OPPO has been expanding its offline presence by targeting 35,000 Point of Sales and 180 after sales service centres for giving its consumers a better experience.

By associating with popular platforms like Bollywood, Cricket and Entertainment, OPPO has been able to gain higher recognition in the Indian market. Taking their connection with the youth a notch higher, OPPO has planned something special this Diwali on Oct, 6^th to kick start the festivities and give consumers the perfect Diwali gift!

About OPPO

At OPPO we design, manufacture, and promote our own products, combining innovative technology with unique design, to ensure our customers always receive the best.

After entering the mobile phone market in 2008, OPPO quickly expanded into overseas markets a year later. OPPO mobile phones are currently available in over 20 markets, with the brand already registered in 140 countries as of late 2015.

OPPO is the official global partner of International Cricket Council (ICC) starting 2016 and has also entered into a three-year partnership with Football Club Barcelona, Spain. OPPO has Bollywood heartthrobs Hrithik Roshan and Sonam Kapoor as its South Asia Region brand ambassadors and Yuvraj Singh as its First Sport Ambassador. The leading smartphone brand made its entry into the Indian market in early 2014. OPPO Mobiles India Pvt. Ltd. currently has commercial presence in major cities and regions of India. With its growing presence, OPPO aims to provide beautifully designed phones and a flawless camera experience to the young consumers.

But OPPO doesn’t stop there. Using our passion for design and commitment to new technologies, OPPO has made a big impact in the audio-visual market by offering world-renowned, premium Blu-ray players in the United States and across Europe.

For more information, please visit:

Website: http://www.oppo.com/in

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Including Breakthrough New Camera Systems, the Best Battery Life Ever in an iPhone and Water & Dust Resistance

SAN FRANCISCO — September 7, 2016 — Apple® today introduced iPhone® 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, the best, most advanced iPhone ever, packed with unique innovations that improve all the ways iPhone is used every day. The new iPhone features new advanced camera systems that take pictures like never before, more power and performance with the best battery life ever in an iPhone, immersive stereo speakers, wide color system from camera to display, two new beautiful finishes, and is the first water and dust resistant iPhone. iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be available in more than 25 countries beginning Friday, September 16.

“iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus dramatically improve every aspect of the iPhone experience, reaching a new level of innovation and precision to make this the best iPhone we have ever made,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “The completely redesigned cameras shoot incredible photos and videos day or night, the A10 Fusion chip is the most powerful chip on any smartphone while delivering the best battery life ever in an iPhone, and an entirely new stereo speaker system provides twice the sound, all within the first water and dust resistant iPhone.”

New Advanced Camera Systems
iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus take the world’s most popular camera and make it even better with entirely new camera systems. The 12-megapixel camera includes optical image stabilization on both iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, and a larger ƒ/1.8 aperture and 6-element lens enable brighter, more detailed photos and videos, and a wide color capture allows for more vibrant colors with more detail. iPhone 7 Plus features the same 12-megapixel wide angle camera as iPhone 7 and adds a 12-megapixel telephoto camera that together offer optical zoom at two times and up to 10 times digital zoom for photos.

Coming later this year, the dual 12-megapixel cameras also enable a new depth-of-field effect, using both cameras on iPhone 7 Plus to capture images, while sophisticated technology including Machine Learning separates the background from the foreground to achieve amazing portraits once possible only with DSLR cameras.

Additional Camera Advancements Include:

• New Apple-designed Image Signal Processor, which processes over 100 billion operations on a single photo in as little as 25 milliseconds, resulting in incredible photos and videos;
• New 7-megapixel FaceTime® HD camera with wide color capture, advanced pixel technology and auto image stabilization for even better selfies; and
• New Quad-LED True Tone® flash that is 50 percent brighter than iPhone 6s including an innovative sensor that detects the flickering in lights and compensates for it in videos and photos.

More Performance & Battery Life
The new custom-designed Apple A10 Fusion chip features a new architecture that powers these innovations, making it the most powerful chip ever in a smartphone, while also getting more time between charges with the longest battery life ever in an iPhone. The A10 Fusion’s CPU now has four cores, seamlessly integrating two high-performance cores that run up to two times faster than iPhone 6, and two high-efficiency cores that are capable of running at just one-fifth the power of the high-performance cores. Graphics performance is also more powerful, running up to three times faster than iPhone 6 at as little as half the power, enabling a new level of gaming and professional apps.

Both phones include support for up to 25 LTE bands, for the best worldwide roaming in the industry, and LTE Advanced for three times faster data rates than iPhone 6 at up to 450 Mbps.¹ For customers in Japan, iPhone will now support the leading FeliCa contactless technology, bringing the ability to use credit and prepaid cards, including on iD and QuicPay domestic networks, and Suica, Japan’s dominant transit card issued by JR East, the world’s largest transit operator.

An Amazing Audio Experience
New stereo speakers offer amazing and immersive sound that is two times louder than iPhone 6s, offering increased dynamic range of sound and a higher quality speakerphone. The new iPhone comes with EarPods® with Lightning® connector to deliver incredible sound, as well as a 3.5 mm headphone jack adapter that allows customers to use old headphones and accessories.

New AirPods, Apple’s innovative new wireless headphones, weave simplicity and technology together to reinvent the wireless experience making headphones easy to use. Featuring the new Apple W1 chip, AirPods have extremely efficient wireless communication for a better connection, improved sound and industry-leading battery life. AirPods harness the power of Siri®, allowing you to access your favorite personal assistant with just a double tap.

Design That Makes a Splash
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus come in a gorgeous design in silver, gold and rose gold finishes and introduce two all-new black finishes, a beautiful black finish that has an anodized matte appearance, and an innovative jet black finish that has a deep, high-gloss look. The new jet black finish is accomplished through an innovative nine-step process of anodization and polish for a uniform, glossy finish. An entirely reengineered enclosure results in a water resistant iPhone offering protection like never before against spills, splashes and dust.²

The new iPhone features the brightest, most colorful Retina® HD display ever in an iPhone, now with a wide color gamut for cinema-standard colors, greater color saturation and the best color management in the smartphone industry. An all-new, advanced, solid-state Home button on iPhone 7 is designed to be durable and responsive, and working in tandem with the new Taptic Engine®, provides more precise and customizable tactile feedback.

Featuring iOS 10, the Biggest iOS Release Ever
iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus come with iOS 10, the biggest release ever of the world’s most advanced mobile operating system. iOS 10 introduces a huge update to Messages that delivers more expressive and animated ways to message friends and family, the ability for Siri to do more by working with apps, new ways to interact with apps and even more places to use 3D Touch, beautifully redesigned Maps, Photos, Apple Music® and News apps, and the Home app, delivering a simple and secure way to manage home automation products in one place. iOS 10 also opens up incredible opportunities for developers with Siri, Maps, Phone and Messages APIs, allowing customers to do more than ever with the apps they love to use.

Pricing & Availability

• iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be available in silver, gold, rose gold and the new black finish in 32GB, 128GB and 256GB models starting at $649 (US), and the new jet black finish will be offered exclusively on the 128GB and 256GB models from Apple.com, Apple Stores, Apple Authorized Resellers and select carriers.
• Through Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program, customers in the US, and for the first time in the UK and China, can get an unlocked iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, with the protection of AppleCare®+, choose their carrier and have the opportunity to upgrade to a new iPhone every year. The iPhone Upgrade Program is available at Apple.com and Apple Stores in the US with monthly payments starting at $32.³
• Customers will be able to order iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus beginning Friday, September 9, with availability beginning Friday, September 16, in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UAE, the UK, US Virgin Islands and the US.
• iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be available in Andorra, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Greenland, Guernsey, Hungary, Iceland, Isle of Man, Jersey, Kosovo, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Maldives, Malta, Monaco, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia and Slovenia beginning Friday, September 23. iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will also be available to customers in India beginning Friday, October 7.
• The new Apple-designed wireless AirPods including charging case will be available for $159 (US) from Apple.com and Apple Stores beginning in late October. All iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models will include EarPods with Lightning Connector and a Lightning to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter, also sold separately at Apple.com and Apple Stores, for $29 (US) and $9 (US), respectively.
• Apple-designed accessories including leather and silicone cases in a range of colors will be available starting at $35 (US) and iPhone 7 Smart Battery Case will be offered in black and white for $99 (US) from Apple.com and Apple Stores. Lightning Docks in several color-matching metallic finishes will also be available for $49 (US).
• Every customer who buys iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus from Apple will be offered free Personal Setup, in-store or online⁴, to help them customize their iPhone by setting up email, showing them new apps from the App Store® and more.
• Anyone who wants to learn more about iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus or iOS 10 can register for the free workshops offered at every Apple Store®.

1 Data plan required. LTE is available in select markets and through select carriers. Speeds vary based on site conditions and carrier. For details on LTE support, contact your carrier and see apple.com/iphone/LTE.
2 iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are splash, water and dust resistant and were tested under controlled laboratory conditions with a rating of IP67 under IEC standard 60529. Splash, water and dust resistance are not permanent conditions and resistance might decrease as a result of normal wear. Do not attempt to charge a wet iPhone; refer to the user guide for cleaning and drying instructions. Liquid damage not covered under warranty.
3 Prices are rounded to nearest dollar and are based on a 24-month installment loan. Full terms and conditions apply. (apple.com/legal/sales-support/iphoneupgrade_us/)
4 In most countries.

Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Apple’s four software platforms — iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.

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Featuring Water Resistance 50 Meters, GPS, Two-Times-Brighter Display, Dual-Core Processor & watchOS 3

Apple Watch Lineup
Apple Watch Series 2 is available with all the new fitness and health capabilities in lightweight aluminum or stainless steel cases, paired with a wide variety of gorgeous new band colors.

Apple Watch Series 1 is available in lightweight aluminum and combines the new powerful dual-core processor and GPU with all the incredible features of the original Apple Watch, making it up to 50 percent faster and available to even more customers, starting at just $269 (US).

Apple Watch Edition now comes in a beautiful ceramic, that embodies craftsmanship with a lustrous white case and all the incredible features of Apple Watch Series 2. Ceramic is one of the hardest materials in the world — more than four times harder than stainless steel — with a beautiful, white, pearl-like finish, making Apple Watch Edition extremely scratch-resistant.

Pricing & Availability 

• Apple Watch is available in two different case sizes, 38 mm and 42 mm. Apple Watch Series 1 will be available in gold, rose gold, silver or space gray aluminum cases paired with a Sport Band and starts at just $269 (US); Apple Watch Series 2 will be available in gold, rose gold, silver or space gray aluminum, or silver or space black stainless steel cases paired with a wide variety of bands starting at $369 (US); and the new ceramic Apple Watch Edition starts at $1249 (US) from Apple.com, Apple Stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers and carriers. For local availability, visit locate.apple.com. Apple Watch Nike+ starts at $369 (US) and Apple Watch Hermès starts at $1149 (US).
• All-new Apple Watch Band Kits in gorgeous new colors are available, beginning today.
• Customers will be able to order Apple Watch Series 1, Apple Watch Series 2 and Apple Watch Edition beginning Friday, September 9, with availability beginning Friday, September 16, in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UAE, the UK and the US.
• Apple Watch Nike+ will be available to order on Apple.com beginning Friday, September 9, with availability in late October, in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UAE, the UK and the US. Apple Watch Nike+ will also be available in late October in Costa Rica, Greece, India, Israel, Macau, Mexico, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
• Apple Watch Hermès will be available beginning Friday, September 23 in Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Macau, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, UAE, the UK and the US.
• Apple Watch Series 1, Apple Watch Series 2 and Apple Watch Edition will be available beginning Friday, September 23 in Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Cayman Islands, Croatia, Czech Republic, El Salvador, Greece, Guam, Hungary, Jersey, Kuwait, Macau, Monaco, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia and the US Virgin Islands.
• Apple Watch Series 1, Apple Watch Series 2 and Apple Watch Edition will be available beginning Friday, October 7 in India and Mexico.
• Apple Watch Series 2 requires iPhone 5 or later running iOS 10 or later. watchOS 3 and iOS 10 will be available beginning Tuesday, September 13 as a free software update. Some features are not available in all regions or all languages.
• Every customer who buys Apple Watch from Apple will be offered free Personal Setup, in-store or online,** to help set up and personalize their new Apple Watch with calendars, notifications, apps and more.
• Anyone who wants to learn more about Apple Watch or watchOS 3 can register for the free workshops offered at every Apple Store®.

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Vendors Realising The Importance Of Robust Offline Smartphone Distribution In Tier 2&3 Cities And Beyond: IDC India

New Delhi, 2^nd  Sep 2016: According to International Data Corporation’s (IDC) Monthly City Level Smartphone tracker, the leading 30 cities of India registered growth of 10.2 percent quarter on quarter in Q2 2016 over Q1 2016. The demand from Tier 2&3 cities is outgrowing Tier 1 cities by clocking +12.9 percent growth vs 8.1 percent for the latter. As signs of saturation are beginning to appear in urban markets (esp. Tier 1), which is a major hub for online sales, vendors are looking to tap the consumer base in Tier 2&3 and rural areas by setting up offline distribution networks.

According to Upasana Joshi, Senior Market Analyst, IDC India, “We are seeing changes in the distribution strategies by many vendors with many popular online exclusive models being made available offline as well, such as Xiaomi Redmi Note3, Le Eco Le1s, Moto G Turbo Edition, etc. This is indicative of an evolving hybrid distribution structure – online plus offline, which will help these vendors bring their popular smartphone models into smaller towns & cities.”

Price discipline getting established between online and offline channels, has led to a resurgence in the importance of the brick and mortar stores. Market sustainability in the longer run will be driven by presence of a strong offline distribution channel.

“With aggressive marketing spends and channel expansion, China based vendors like Oppo & Vivo are gaining traction across all city Tiers. The channel is upbeat and excited with the sales schemes being offered by these vendors resulting in fast moving stocks” adds Joshi.

The China based vendors on the back of their quality products at affordable prices and wide availability have largely contributed to the growth of price segment $150-$200 & $200-$250 across top 30 cities contributing 28 percent in Tier 1 cities in Q2 2016 as compared to 19 percent in Q1 2016 and 24 percent in Tier 2&3 cities as compared to 17 percent in the previous quarter.

“Apart from Reliance Jio (Lyf), other Indian vendors were unable to hold on to their market share in Q2 2016. Similar was with global vendors except for Samsung which managed to sustain its market leadership position. This has led to a sharp increase in the market shares of China based vendors across all Tiers even with their mid segment ASPs (ranging from $150-$200) purely on the back of strong distribution channel, better channel schemes and huge promoter programmes as compared to the rest” says Varun Singh, Market Analyst, IDC India. “This is a clear indication that the offline channel cannot be wished away by vendors for operating long term in highly competitive Indian market” adds Singh.

Top Vendor Highlights:

Samsung: continues to lead the smartphone market with 28.5 percent share, clocking 5.7 percent growth from the previous quarter. Alongside the newly launched J series (2016 versions), the J series range continue to drive the maximum volumes for Samsung.

Micromax: maintains second position in CY Q2 2016 with 11.9 percent share. It regained share in the less than $100 price segment to be at the top position on the back of newly launched Bolt & Canvas Spark series, but is facing stiff competition from Lyf “Flame series”.

Xiaomi: moved up to third position in CY Q2 2016 with 8.1 percent share on the back of its hit model Redmi Note 3. The model generated massive demand owing to its loaded feature specs at an affordable price.

Intex:  retains fourth position with 8.0 percent share, but dropped in volume growth by 4.6 percent. It continues to command significant share in below $100 price segment; however, channel partners feel there is an immediate need for a refreshed high decibel visibility campaign to enhance further demand.

Lenovo (including Motorola): slipped to fifth position in CY Q2 2016 with 7.2 percent share. G4 Plus and Vibe K5 Plus launched in Q2 2016 is expected to generate demand in the coming months. Lenovo had also expanded its presence to retail counters which is yet to pick up volumes.

Oppo & Vivo: stand at 7^th & 8^th position with 3.3 percent share & 2.9 percent share respectively. With aggressive marketing spends, in store promotions and expansion of retail presence, both these Chinese vendors are successful in quick demand ramp up across Tiers. Their model line-up is majorly placed in $200 & above price segment giving stiff competition to the Global vendors in this segment.

Apple: in the above $300 price segment commands a share of 35.6 percent in CY Q2 2016, with majority sales driven from iPhone 5s and 6s models.

About IDC Trackers

IDC Tracker products provide accurate and timely market size, vendor share, and forecasts for hundreds of technology markets from more than 100 countries around the globe. Using proprietary tools and research processes, IDC’s Trackers are updated on a semi-annual, quarterly, and monthly basis. Tracker results are delivered to clients in user-friendly excel deliverables and on-line query tools. The IDC Tracker Charts app allows users to view data charts from the most recent IDC Tracker products on their iPhone and iPad.

About IDC

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,100 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC’s analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world’s leading technology media, research, and Events Company. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter at @IDC.

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December 02: Letv, the internet conglomerate which is ready for its entry into the Indian market today showcased a letter by its founder Jia Yueting to its employees, titled – “Master Yourself, Chase After Your Dreams and Become the Brightest Star”. In the letter Jia Yueting gives thanks to his staff members and states that the company will continue to promote its internationalization and globalization agenda. He also announced that Letv’s smartphone unit ‘Le Mobile’ has set a funding record in the industry, by completing its Series-A financing of USD 530 million, the biggest Series-A funding so far among Letv’s seven business ecosystems.

Further highlighting that as part of its global expansion plans, Letv will carry on with its strategy of B-L-S (Beijing-LA-Silicon Valley) and build its ecosystem across new and existing geographies like United States, India and Hong Kong. Jia Yueting also revealed information about the latest progress of the Super Car and a plan to introduce a new eco chauffeured car service in collaboration with yongche.com, which he said will disrupt the current e-hailing market landscape. Among Letv’s seven business ecosystems, Le Sports has achieved rapid development throughout the year and its recently-established Le Sports Venture Capital, in particular, stunned the industry.  Jia Yueting disclosed in the internal letter that Le Sports will announce an even more stunning plan next month.

In the letter, Jia Yueting said that, what the world needs is not a second Apple, but a company that can truly break the rules set by Apple, and that’s exactly the mission of the Superphones as well as the starting point of Letv’s ecosystem strategy. Jia Yueting believes that Apple will be upended, not necessarily by Letv, but certainly by Letv’s ecosystem model.

Signalling the company’s people-centricity and its bid to attract top global talent , Jia Yueting announced in his letter  “Letv allocates 50% equity of its unlisted assets to all staff members so that every employee becomes a true stakeholder of Letv and work in a truly enterprising spirit at Letv!” Jia Yueting believed that with all employees being shareholders and benefiting from the overall growth of the company, there will be stronger coordination among the various business units. For example, in addition to owning shares in the company where they work, employees of Le Sports, Le Mobile, and Letv Cloud also have shares in Le Holdings. This arrangement is meant to promote coordination and synergic interactions among the various sub-ecosystems. The Eco employee equity and global partnership scheme will lead a new era and become a benchmark of the industry.

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Industry’s Leading Solution for Integrating Macs into Windows File Sharing Environments Now Offers Support for Mobile Workers to Access Files on Any Device

Dubai, UAE — JUNE 02, 2015 — Acronis®, a global leader in new generation data protection, today unveiled Acronis Access Connect – it’s latest file and print sharing solution for SMBs and enterprises. Acronis Access Connect (formerly ExtremeZ-IP) is the leading solution for integrating Macs into businesses and enterprises. With this new release, Acronis Access Connect adds broad support for mobile workers to securely access files using iOS, Android, and Windows phones and tablets. This combined support across the range of PC, Mac and mobile platforms lets employees keep using the devices they love, while enabling IT departments to deliver a seamless, scalable, and problem-free file server access and print sharing experience for users.

Ease-of-Use for IT and Employees

With Acronis Access Connect, mobile workers and road warriors can now access their work files wherever they need them, using the intuitively designed Access Connect mobile clients for iOS, Android and Windows mobile devices. Minimal or no end user training is required for mobile users, especially those familiar with Mac and Windows file sharing environments.

For IT managers and professionals, Acronis Access Connect eliminates SMB protocol bugs, performance issues and compatibility problems related to integrating Macs into Windows environments, reducing help desk calls by as much as 70%. Acronis Access Connect installs in a matter of minutes on Windows servers, delivering immediate time-to-value for IT administrators and support personnel. The solution allows employees to be more productive when working with files on their PCs, Macs and mobile devices – whenever and wherever they choose.

Employees Using Macs at Tipping Point

As bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies continues to transform the way employees work worldwide, Macs in the workplace are becoming more common. In fact, a 2014 survey of 376 IT professionals conducted by Dimensional Research¹ found that user preference is the top reason given by IT administrators for supporting Macs. The survey also found that 66 percent of businesses are already using Macs today, and more than 70 percent officially support Macs as a company endpoint.

While many employees clearly prefer Macs, there are challenges from an IT perspective when it comes to file sharing, including compatibility, search performance issues, and a poor user experience. With unmatched compatibility and transparency, Acronis Access Connect allows Mac users to take advantage of key features they expect when connecting to Windows or NAS file servers, including:

• Fast, full content searching using Network Spotlight
• Automatic backups using Time Machine
• Fast browsing of network shares
• Glitch-free operations when using key applications, such as Microsoft Office or Adobe Creative Suite

Phoenix Printing Plates Eliminates Connectivity Issues, Improves Productivity

Phoenix Printing Plates, award-winning flexo printing plate manufacturer in the UK, operates with their designers and production teams under constant tight deadlines. Using Macs as quickly and efficiently as possible in this production-driven environment is a requirement. Prior to using Acronis, the company’s Mac users were not able to efficiently connect to their Windows SBS 2010 Server, wasting time and reducing productivity. Folders were slow to display contents, searching was impossible, and reading and writing files was sluggish for users. Within 30 minutes of installing Acronis Access Connect, the entire studio was connected to the Windows Server, resulting in more productive Mac users with fewer IT and performance issues. In addition, the solution does not require the installation of additional software on the Mac clients.

“Everyone in the studio now gets a seamless connection and experience, and everyone is happy,” said Kristian Wells, Repro Account Manager at Phoenix Printing Plates. “We don’t even realize that Acronis Access Connect is running as once it is installed on the server we don’t ever need to touch it.”

“Acronis Access Connect cures two of the biggest IT headaches when it comes to file sharing,” said Derick Naef, General Manager of Mobility Solutions at Acronis. “First, we help IT support the increasing numbers of Mac users by virtually eliminating file sharing support issues, and second, we have opened up filer server access across any device – empowering all of your employees to work and collaborate from anywhere.”

Additional Information

• Learn more about Acronis Access Connect http://www.acronis.com/en-us/mobility/mac-windows-compatibility/
• Product Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVAPu1ez92w
• Get the complete Phoenix Printing Plates Case Study
• Get the ESG Solution Brief by Senior Analyst Terri McClure on demand

Connect with Acronis

• Follow @Acronis on Twitter: https://twitter.com/acronis
• Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acronis
• Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/acronis
• Subscribe to the Acronis Blog: acronis.com/

The post Acronis Unveils Acronis Access Connect – Delivers Seamless File Access Across Apple, Android and Windows Environments appeared first on Core Sector Communique.

San Francisco, 12 May 2015 – Major internet companies including Apple, Facebook and Google continue to lead efforts to build an internet that is renewably powered, but an uncooperative fossil fuel sector and rapid energy demand growth for the internet places those ambitions under threat, according to a new report released today by Greenpeace [1]. Continued resistance to renewable investments from coal-heavy monopoly utilities in data center hot spots such as Virginia, North Carolina, and Taiwan is causing the rapid growth in the digital world to increase the demand for dirty energy.

The post Greenpeace report urges improved transparency from Amazon and more engagement from all major internet companies to overcome resistance to renewable energy from fossil fuel monopolies. appeared first on Core Sector Communique.